By The Nation
Published on August 8, 2009
The new service can also be used to pay fines in criminal cases, by the defendants themselves or their relaฌtives, said Sarawuth Benjakul, a deputy Courts of Justice Office (COJF) secretarygeneral. The credฌitcard payment has earlier been tried in civil courts.

The "credit cards accepted" courts are the Criminal Court, the Thon Buri Criminal Court, the Southern Bangkok Criminal Court and the Bangkok North Municipal Court. More courts across the country are preparing to accept credit cards in their bailout and finepayment
Defendants in criminal cases can now obtain bail for temporary release by swiping their credit cards - a new service available initially at a few courts in Bangkok.
The COJF is now working on makฌing the finepayment service availฌable at courts other than the ones that order the fines. He did not say when this service might be provided.

COJF spokesman Prasong Mahaleetrakool said trial use of credฌit cardpayment had also been conฌducted since June 15 at the Civil Court, the Southern Bangkok Civil Court and the Thon Buri Civil Court, and experienced no technical or proฌcedural problems.

Sangiam Bunjan, secretarygenฌeral of the Law Society of Thailand, which governs lawyers, said he and other lawyers welcomed the creditcard payment, as it was convenient and quick. He proposed that credit cards could be left with court officials without being swiped, and be returned to defendants when they show up at the right time and date.

Guarantees of bail are now made through cash or in lengthy procedures involving proof of land ownership documents. There are many lawsuits between defendants or their relatives and people who make a living as guarฌantors and then lose their money when defendants show up late or escape.